After the past few years working part time and raising my two wonderful little boys, I am thrilled to be back in the field of conservation full time. It is through this position as the Conservation Awards Associate at the NFF in Missoula, MT that my passion for restoring the natural world is ignited once again. I look forward to working with this amazing team and meeting all of the partners and field staff over the years. As an undergraduate at Penn State University, I got my first... (Read more…)

Hi, I’m excited to introduce myself , the newest member of the National Forest Foundation (NFF) as the Southern California Program Associate. I had been working with the NFF on the Angeles National Forest for the past seven months as a contractor and it is fantastic to transition to a regular employee of such an incredible organization.  The dedicated staff and mission of the NFF have made the transition easy. Previously I had been assisting in developing a Friends of the Angeles... (Read more…)

Dear NFF Blog Followers,   I am delighted to greet you as the National Forest Foundation’s (NFF) Ecosystem Services Program Manager at the national office here in Missoula.  I just joined the team as of June 10, 2012 after completing my Master’s degree and spending a short time as a born-again USFS employee. I couldn’t imagine a better transition into a meaningful career, as I have a profound connection to the National Forest System and a keen interest in ecosystem service... (Read more…)

Hi! My name is Hannah, and I am a new staff writer and development assistant at the National Forest Foundation in Missoula. Born and raised in Michigan, I grew up amongst farm fields rather than tree-covered mountains. Since my first trip out west when I was 12 though, I always knew the mountains were calling me.  Besides being outside, two of my favorite things are reading and writing.  So, this past May, after I graduated from Michigan State University with a degree... (Read more…)

Dear Friends of NFF and National Forests, As the first Director of NFF’s Colorado Program I am excited to be working for NFF and the National Forests and communities that have been such a big part of my life from the time I was a young child. Having experienced first-hand the recent and dramatic changes in Colorado’s forests due to drought and the beetle infestations, working for NFF is one of the most powerful ways I can “give back” to the places that sustain me while making a... (Read more…)

Dear Blog Readers, I am thrilled to be greeting you as the NFF’s new Conservation Awards Associate, a post I took on March 1st here in Missoula.  I currently lead dual lives, one at NFF and the other at the University of Montana where I am currently finishing my MS in Environmental Studies.  My research has focused on Wilderness stewardship partnerships between non-governmental organizations and federal land management agencies, drawing me deep into the world of... (Read more…)

Hello! My name is Stella Torres. I was born in Hood River, Oregon, and grew up in central Oregon. Needless to say, mountains and tall trees have been a part of most of my life. I went to school in Portland where I studied linguistics with a focus on teaching English as a second/foreign language. I grew up in a multilingual home, and studied foreign language throughout most of my life. I’m fluent in Spanish and French, and can have a basic conversation in Chinese Mandarin, Swahili and... (Read more…)